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Residents can now report a crime online

Fort Morgan offers new program for minor crime reporting

Fort Morgan Chief of Public Safety Paul Schultz announces the creation of Fort Morgan Police Department's online crime reporting system toward the end of Tuesday night's City Council meeting. (Jenni Grubbs / The Fort Morgan Times)

Fort Morgan Chief of Public Safety Paul Schultz had a big announcement to make toward the end of Tuesday night's Fort Morgan City Council meeting.

Fort Morgan police are now offering an online crime reporting system.

"So, citizens who want to make police reports now for minor crimes where there is no suspect can now do it online, 24/7 a day, 365 days a year," the chief told the Council. "We're pretty excited about that."

How it works is there is a form on the city's website under the police department page that allows anyone to file police reports for minor crimes online at their convenience, rather than having to go to the police department or get a visit from an officer. That form can be found under the quick links section of the police department page on the link called "Report a Crime Online."

This is what the start of the Online Crime Report form looks like. It can be found at cityoffortmorgan.com on the Police Department page in the middle of the "Quick Links" section on the "Report a Crime Online" link. (Screenshot of cityoffortmorgan.com / The Fort Morgan Times)

The idea is that things the police department considers to be minor incidents and low-level crimes with a small likelihood of being solved could be more easily reported to the police department, so that there is an official record of the crime. Such records are something that may be needed for insurance purposes when these types of crimes occur, Schultz explained.

The chief gave an example of a bicycle theft that happened overnight with no obvious suspect as the sort of crime that could be reported through this system.

To file such an online report, a person would go on the city's website, navigate to the "Report a Crime Online" link, and then fill out the boxes on the form that comes up and submit it.

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"It immediately is transmitted to our records unit. It's reviewed there to make sure it complies with our policy, and then it's given a number," Schultz explained.

"Reporting minor crimes like this will assist the FMPD in developing and maintaining an accurate database of crime statistics in the city, and also help to identify and analyze trends in certain types of crimes," according to a press release. "The information gained through the online reporting program will also be used in crime mapping, which is already being done by the FMPD."

Another goal of this online reporting system is to get people to provide police with information about crimes that otherwise might not be reported at all, according to the press release.

According to a press release from City Clerk/Public Information Officer John Brennan, examples of the types of crimes that can be reported through this system include: minor theft, vandalism, lost property, phone harassment and internet crime.

The online form specifically directs people about whether their crime is something that can be reported online. There is a list of boxes with criteria that have to be able to be checked in order for the incident to qualify.

Those criteria include:

• This is a non-emergency crime

• You cannot identify a suspect

• The incident occurred within Fort Morgan city limits

• You are not reporting a violent crime

• No physical evidence was left behind by the suspect

• The incident is not traffic related

• The amount of loss is less than $1,000

• This is not a misuse of credit or debit card crime

• The incident is not related to graffiti

• No weapons were stolen

• You do not know the serial number(s) of the stolen property

• This does not involve identity theft

If one or more of the boxes for these criteria cannot be checked, then a police officer would respond to the reporting party to take the report, according to the city press release. Police department records clerks will review the submitted online reports to make sure an officer does not need to respond.

Schultz said the city's new program was modeled after one he put in place in Canon City when he was the police chief there, as well as one set up in Lafayette.

"It's really good for the community," Schultz said. "These minor crimes can be reported at a citizen's convenience. We don't have to send a police car out."

The police department also will be seeking feedback from local residents about the new online crime reporting program. Changes and updates will be made to the program based on such feedback as time goes on, according to the press release.

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